It’s been quite some time since PHILTHY, or the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection in general, has caught up with Canadian indie rock trio The Rural Alberta Advantage. The last time they graced us with their presence was in November of 2014, when they last headlined the First Unitarian Church. At the time they had just released their third LP, Mended With Gold, and I got a chance to chat with drummer, Paul Banwatt (Check out our chat here.) Since then, multi-instrumentalist and founding member Amy Cole left the band, they released their fourth LP (The Wild), and Cole returned to the band. The Wild dropped in October of 2017 on Paper Bag, and would seem to represent a slightly more mature and restrained take on their blending of Americana rock and punky indie pop, which I once described as, “a poetically hungover Pixies.” Well, The Rural Alberta Advantage are currently in the middle of a spring tour and will be playing Boot & Saddle tonight, for their most intimate Philadelphia show since 2010. I would highly recommend catching them once again in a Philly bar for the first time in nearly a decade, while you still have the chance. And if you need an extra push, check out their video for “Bad Luck Again,” off of their latest album.
